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Women in Science

Getting funding for a PhD and being a graduate student

Video clip: Barbara says that the ‘idea of discovery’ was very exciting. Protected time gave her an opportunity to do her research and learn different techniques.

And how was it being a PhD student?

It was fantastic. The best time of my life I would say. You know, where everything, you know I was doing my research. I had time protected to do my research. I could do it full time. Before I had tried to do something on top of all the junior doctor clinical work and that was almost impossible really. Well, you can do something. But you can’t do something at a higher level that, because, you know, it requires more time and more concentration, training in different techniques. And so it was particularly good to have that time. I never felt that I was wasting my time and that I would delay my training and, ‘My God I would be older when I finished’. It never crossed my mind. I say this because it crosses the mind of many people but it had never been a problem for me.

I’ve always been good at taking detours [laughs]. I don’t move on a straight line. So the idea, I’m curious and I like, I get bored quite easily. So I think research is ideal for someone who has these characteristics. You know, and I like the idea of finding something that no-one has seen before, no matter how small.

Mm.

You know the idea of discovery is still I think the most exciting thing really.